I mainly got it for the CA HOV access. So here's my first question after owning it for a day... I plugged it into a 120V outlet last night and the screen showed it's taking 1.3 kw. I understand the maximum KW the Prius can take is 2kw. So would I even benefit much if I installed a L2 station at home? Thanks!
L1 (120v) will finish charging in about 3 hours. L2 would cut that in half to 1.5 hours. I am not sure of the charging limit from the wall but regen brake can recharge it much faster (30kW+).
Generally, there is no reason to get L2 at home. For $500 - $1500 (depending on device and installation costs) you are going to save a tiny amount on charging efficiency and you'll save an ~hour on a full charge. If your cost per kwh is $0.10, you might save about 1.5 cents per charge based on the higher electrical efficiency of using L2 vs L1. So, charging once per day for 10 years will get you ~$50 in savings. Of course, if you might get a BEV in the near future as well it might be more useful since you might need the faster charging rate. In the PIP if you charge for 1.5 hours instead of 2.5 hours you probably lose out on 3 or 4 miles of EV. At 50 mpg and $4/gal you are losing $0.32 in gas for maybe $0.10 in electricity. If you did this every day (unlikely) that would be ~$800 in 10 years. But I would think that 90% of the time you'd be able to spare the extra hour of charging time. Mike
As others pointed out, it cuts charging time roughly in half. Depending on your state, you may be able to recoup a significant portion of the cost on your tax return. (Mine cost about $950 installed, and I'm getting about $550 of that back in Oregon) I do plan to get a Tesla in the next 2 years, so I was partly planning for the future, but I do find that my average MPG has gone up significantly, especially on days off, where I am making multiple short trips around town.
Keep in mind that you are limited to 62 MPH in EV (electric-only) mode. That's much too slow for the HOV lane most of the time. I've had the PiP for almost a year now and haven't yet used the HOV access except at freeway onramps. The HOV lane is just going faster than I'm willing to go in pursuit of 100 MPG.
Best bang for your buck is getting your factory EVSE (charge cable) modified for Level 2 charging. It will still charge as Level 1 without a 240V circuit. As a DIY guy, with a little research, I was able to run a dedicated 240V circuit at home and work for around $100. In for the long haul (short charge), I purchased a Leviton Level 2 charger for home use and had my factory charge cable modified. Start slow and see how level 1 charging works if you're undecided.
